Dispensing cover for fiberboard drum

ABSTRACT

A dispensing cover (10) for use with a first fiberboard drum (14) includes a main portion (50), a skirt portion (52) and a skirt portion extension (54). The drum has a continuous upstanding drum wall (44) with a wall edge (46) having a rolled-in lip (16). The wall edge (16) forms a perimeter of a cover receiving opening (48). Main portion (50) is sized to fit within the perimeter of cover receiving opening (48). Skirt portion (52) is secured to main portion (50) and extends generally parallel to upstanding drum wall (44). Skirt portion extension (54) is secured to skirt portion (52) and forms a cavity (56) for receiving rolled-in lip (16) of drum (14). At least one barb (12) can be provided to secure cover (10) to fiberboard drum (14). A resealable lid (20) and a dispensing cover seal (30) can also be provided. The seal (30) prevents undesirable retention of product by the rolled-in lip (16). A stack alignment lip (42) can be provided to allow stacking of adjacent drums (14), (36).

This application claims benefit of Provisional Application No.60/025,097 Sep. 3, 1996.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to covers, and more particularly relatesto a dispensing cover for a fiberboard drum.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Current packaging applications frequently require containers forgranular products which may be dispensed from the containers. Onecurrent type of package includes a rectangular fiberboard drum which hasa top sealed off with an injection molded cover. The cover is attachedto the drum with tape.

In order to dispense product from the container, the consumer removesthe tape to detach the cover. Frequently, this results in the tapepeeling off part of the label of the container. The is bothaesthetically undesirable, and results in removal of some of thelettering or other information on the box. Further, once the tape hasbeen removed, there is no way to securely reseal the container otherthan re-taping it. The current type of cover design is friction fit tothe outside of the container, and while it provides adequate protectionfrom the elements, it will come off when the box is knocked over (unlessre-taped), thus resulting in spillage of the contents.

New legislation requires certain packages to evacuate a substantialfraction of the product before disposal. Current designs employ arolled-in lip on the fiberboard drum. This inhibits evacuation of thepackage, and may result in inability to comply with the new legislation.

Furthermore, the taping operation employed with current technologydesigns is very labor intensive. Finally, during shipment, drums arestacked on a skid. A corrugated sheet must be placed between the layersof stacked prior art drums. Elimination of these sheets would result ina cost savings.

In view of the deficiencies of prior art dispensing covers, there is aneed for a dispensing cover which can be securely attached to afiberboard drum. Furthermore, there is a need for a dispensing coverwhich prevents retention of product by the rolled-in lip of thefiberboard drum. Yet further, there is a need for a dispensing coverwhich can be stacked without the use of a corrugated sheet. In everycase, it will be desirable if the new dispensing cover can be opened todispense product and then securely resealed.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing coverfor a fiberboard drum which can be securely attached to the fiberboarddrum without a separate taping operation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a dispensingcover for a fiberboard drum which inhibits undesirable retention ofproduct in the rolled-in lip of the fiberboard drum.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide adispensing cover for a fiberboard drum which can be stacked without useof a corrugated sheet.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dispensingcover for a fiberboard drum which can be opened to dispense product andthen resealably closed.

One form of the present invention eliminates the taping operation byemploying a top cover which locks into the top of the box by means ofbarbs which engage the rolled-in lip of the box. In addition toeliminating the taping operation, this design provides a cover which ispermanently attached to the box, thereby overcoming the spillageproblem.

Furthermore, in the present invention, a die-cut flange may optionallybe attached to the bottom of the cover, to provide a particle sealaround the rolled-in lip, thus preventing undesirable retention ofproduct in the rolled-in lip, and enabling compliance with the newlegislation requirements for substantial product evacuation.

The present invention can also be equipped with a resealable coverhaving a lid which may optionally be attached to the cover with aflexible strap. Thus, the consumer can dispense from the resealable lidwithout removing the entire cover.

Finally, the present invention can be configured to be self-stacking inthat the top of the cover can be provided with a stacking rim whichengages a hollow on the bottom of a container to be positioned in ahigher layer.

In accordance with one form of the present invention, a dispensing coveris provided for use with a first fiberboard drum which has a continuousupstanding drum wall with a wall edge having a rolled-in lip. The walledge forms a perimeter of a cover-receiving opening. The dispensingcover includes a main portion which is sized to fit within the perimeterof the cover-receiving opening. The dispensing cover also includes askirt portion which is secured to the main portion and which extendsgenerally parallel to the upstanding drum wall. The dispensing coverfurther includes a skirt portion extension which is secured to the skirtportion and which forms a cavity for receiving the rolled-in lip of thefirst fiberboard drum. Finally, the dispensing cover also includes atleast one barb which is secured to the skirt portion and which extendsoutwardly therefrom. The barb has an angled surface which rides up andover the rolled-in lip of the first fiberboard drum as the dispensingcover is inserted in the first fiberboard drum. The barb has a generallystraight surface which traps the rolled-in lip of the first fiberboarddrum in the cavity of the skirt portion when the dispensing cover isfully inserted in the first fiberboard drum.

The dispensing cover can be configured with a lid-receiving aperture andcan include a lid which is optionally flexibly secured to the dispensingcover and which is configured to be resealably secured in the aperture.Furthermore, the dispensing cover can include a dispensing cover sealformed of a flexible material which is secured to the main portion. Theseal can have an outer perimetric seal edge which sealingly abuts thecontinuous upstanding drum wall when the dispensing cover is inserted inthe first fiberboard drum. The seal can be positioned to impederetention, by the rolled-in lip, of product contained in the firstfiberboard drum.

Furthermore, the dispensing cover can be equipped with a stack alignmentlip which extends upwardly from the main portion to engage rolled-inedges at the floor of a second fiberboard drum when the secondfiberboard drum is stacked on top of the dispensing cover. The secondfiberboard drum can be of the type having a recessed floor retained byrolled-in edges.

In various forms of the invention, the features of a barb; a dispensingcover seal; a lid and lid-receiving aperture; and a stack alignment lipcan each individually be provided alone, or in any desired combinationwith the other features.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptionof illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a dispensing cover in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a dispensing cover in accordancewith the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a dispensing cover in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of a dispensing cover in accordance withthe present invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3showing retention and sealing features of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a close-up perspective view of the seal of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a view of a container and cover assembly according to thepresent invention, showing the stacking feature; and

FIG. 8 is a partial, detailed cross-sectional view including thestacking feature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-5, a dispensing cover in accordance withthe present invention is depicted, and is designated generally as 10.Cover 10 is intended for use with a first fiberboard drum or box 14 (asbest seen in FIG. 5). First fiberboard drum 14 has a continuousupstanding drum wall 44 with a wall edge 46 having a rolled-in lip 16.Wall edge 46 forms a perimeter of a cover-receiving opening 48.

Dispensing cover 10 includes a main portion 50 which is sized to fitwithin the perimeter of the cover-receiving opening 48. Dispensing cover10 also includes a skirt portion 52 which is secured to the main portion50 and which extends generally parallel to the upstanding drum wall 44.Dispensing cover 10 further includes a skirt portion extension 54 whichis secured to skirt portion 52 and which forms a cavity 56 for receivingthe rolled-in lip 16 of the first fiberboard drum 14. It will beappreciated that main portion 50 and skirt portion 52 form aspill-containing well. It will also be appreciated that skirt portionextension 54 (or any of the other elements) may be given any shape whichis pleasing to the eye; for example, extension 54 could include asegment of a circle, ellipse, etc.

Dispensing cover 10 can include at least one barb 12 which is secured toskirt portion 52 and which extends outwardly therefrom. Barb 12 has anangled surface 18 which rides up and over the rolled-in lip 16 of firstfiberboard drum 14 as dispensing cover 10 is inserted in firstfiberboard drum 14. Barb 12 preferably also includes a generallystraight surface 58 which traps the rolled-in lip 16 of the firstfiberboard drum 14 in cavity 56 of skirt portion extension 54 whendispensing cover 10 is fully inserted into the first fiberboard drum 14.Note that barb 12 can be directly secured to skirt portion 52, as shownin the figures, or can be indirectly secured via fastening to anothercomponent of cover 10 which is in turn secured to skirt portion 52.

It will be appreciated that a plurality of barbs 12 are preferablyprovided. Barbs 12 permit cover 10 to be securely and permanentlyretained in place, without taping. This permanent attachment also avoidsthe spillage problem common in the prior art.

If desired, dispensing cover 10 can be made resealable via a lid 20which is optionally flexibly secured to dispensing cover 10, such as byflexible strap 22. Lid 20 can also be separate from cover 10. Mainportion 50 can be provided with a lid-receiving aperture, such as thatformed by lid-receiving projection 24. Lid 20 can be configured to beresealably secured in the aperture of lid-receiving projection 24 by anysuitable means, such as, for example a friction fit or via engaging lips26, 28. Screw threads or a bayonet mount could also be used. In thiscase, instead of flexible strap 22, a bead chain arrangement allowingfor rotation of lid 20 could be used to secure lid 20 to cover 10, ifdesired. Thus, using the present invention, it is possible to dispensefrom the package without removing the entire cover. Although depicted asround, lid 20 and projection 24 can be given any pleasing shape, forexample, elliptical, generally rectangular, and the like. With referenceto FIGS. 3 and 4, strap 22, in a first configuration, can have a widthW_(s) of about 0.625 inches (about 15.9 mm) and a thickness t_(s) ofabout 0.040 inches (about 1 mm). In a second preferred embodiment, widthW_(s) can be about 3/16 inch (about 4.8 mm) and thickness t_(s) can beabout 1/16 inch (about 1.6 mm). The width W_(s) and thickness t_(s) ofstrap 22 should be selected to permit stacking of additional fiberboarddrums on top of stack alignment lip 42, as discussed below. While athinner strap, i.e., one with a lower value of t_(s) will interfere lesswith stacking, it has also been found that a strap 22 with a lower valueof W_(s), i.e., less width, also aids in stacking. This appears to bedue to the fact that the strap with reduced width has lower flexuralrigidity, and therefore can more easily deform under the weight of thebox stacked above.

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the present invention can also includea dispensing cover seal 30 to prevent undesirable retention of productby rolled-in lip 16. Seal 30 may be formed of a suitable flexiblematerial. Seal 30 is preferably secured to main portion 50, and has anouter perimetric seal edge 60 which sealingly abuts the continuousupstanding drum wall 44 when dispensing cover 10 is inserted in thefirst fiberboard drum 14. Seal 30 is positioned to impede retention, bythe rolled-in lip 16, of product contained in the first fiberboard drum14.

In one preferred form of the invention, main portion 50 has a bottomface 62. Barb 12 preferably extends no lower than bottom face 62.Dispensing cover seal 30 is preferably a generally planar sheet havingan upper surface 64 secured to bottom face 62 of main portion 50. Seal30 may be secured to bottom face 62 of main portion 50 by any suitablemeans, for example, projections 32 can be provided on bottom face 62 ofmain portion 50 and seal 30 may be provided with holes which receive theprojections 32. Any suitable pattern of projections 32 can be used toprevent bowing of seal 30. Seal 30 is preferably formed of about 0.015inch (about 0.38 mm) polystyrene sheet stock and is stamped via adie-cutting operation. Styrene is preferred for pet food applications,and for similar generally inert materials. PET (polyethyleneterephthalate) is preferred for fertilizer and herbicide products. Theremainder of cover 10 is preferably formed of colored polypropylene in athickness of, for example, about 0.070 inches (about 1.8 mm). It is tobe understood, however, that any suitable materials and thickness may beused for the cover and seal. Seal 30 can be fastened to projections 32by welding, gluing, or any other suitable technique; heat sealing ofprojections 32 is especially preferred.

Angled slits 34 may be formed in seal 30 to aid in flexible engagementof seal 30 with first fiberboard drum 14. Slits 30 are especiallydesirable when continuous upstanding drum wall 44 forms a generallyrectangular tube with rounded corners, as shown in the figures; in thiscase, dispensing cover seal 30 is preferably also generally rectangularwith rounded corners, as also shown in the figures. Thus, angled slits34 are preferably formed in the rounded corners of the dispensing coverseal 30 to aid in the flexible engagement of dispensing cover seal 30with first fiberboard drum 14. It should be understood that the crosssection of the cover 10 and fiberboard drum 14, 36 may be round,elliptical, or any other desirable shape rather than generallyrectangular.

Reference should now be had to FIGS. 7 and 8. Dispensing cover 10 can,if desired, be configured for self-stacking. In particular, cover 10 canbe configured for self-stacking use with a second fiberboard drum(adjacent box) 36 which has a recessed floor 40 retained by rolled-inedges 38. In this case, dispensing cover 10 can be formed with a stackalignment lip 42 which extends upwardly from main portion 50 to engagethe rolled-in edges 38 of second fiberboard drum 36 when secondfiberboard drum 36 is stacked on top of dispensing cover 10. Referringback briefly to FIG. 1, stack alignment lip 42 can be formed with afirst cutout 66 to clear strap 22 and a second cutout 68 for purposes ofproviding clearance when pouring product out of the aperture ofprojection 24.

Stack alignment lip 42, as shown in the figures, is preferably formed asa vertical extension of skirt portion 52. Stack alignment lip 42eliminates the need for a corrugated sheet between adjacent layers ofstacked containers, and thereby achieves a cost savings. It is to beunderstood that the above-discussed features of the barb 12, dispensingcover seal 30, stack alignment lip 42 and resealable lid 20 can all beprovided individually with cover 10, or in any combination. Further, itis to be understood that the present invention can also comprise thecombination of a dispensing cover 10 in accordance with the presentinvention with first fiberboard drum 14, and, if desired, secondfiberboard drum (or adjacent box) 36. Note that lid 20 and strap 22 areomitted from FIG. 7 for clarity.

With reference to FIG. 3, the overall length of the cover L can be, forexample, about 10.85 inches (about 27.6 cm); the width W can be, forexample, about 5.655 inches (about 14.4 cm); and the distance X from theoutside of the stack alignment lip 42 to the edge of the skirt portionextension 54 can be about 0.485 inches (about 12.3 mm). Referring toFIG. 4, the height H of the skirt portion extension 54 can be about 0.5inches (about 12.7 mm). With reference to FIG. 8, barb 12 can extend adistance E_(b) of about 0.261 inches (about 6.6 mm) beyond skirt portion52. Barb 12 can have an overall height h_(b) of roughly 0.63 inches(roughly 16 mm) with a height h_(s) for the non-angled portion of theouter edge of about 0.2 inches (about 5 mm). Barbs 12 can have anyconvenient thickness; for example, the thickness used for the remainderof the molding, such as about 0.04-0.07 inches (about 1-1.8 mm).Finally, with reference to FIG. 4, stack alignment lip 42 can extendabove skirt portion extension 54 by a height H_(lip) of about 0.25inches (about 6 mm). It is to be understood that all dimensions usedherein are exemplary and can be varied to any suitable value for a givenapplication. Referring to FIG. 6, seal 30 can have rounded corners witha radius R of approximately 1 inch (approximately 25.4 mm), generallyconforming to the radii on the remainder of the dispensing cover. Slots34 can extend at about a 45 degree angle for length equal to the fullradius, as shown in FIG. 6, or can, for example, extend only half theradius, that is, say about 1/2 inch (about 13 mm) from the edge of theseal 30. Radial slots 34 can have a width of, for example, about 0.030inches (about 0.8 mm).

As shown in FIG. 2, the present invention can optionally include atamper evident seal sheet 70. Sheet 70 can be made of, for example,polyester film kraft paper which can be heat sealed, for example, to themain portion 50. Holes can be provided in tamper evident seal sheet 70to receive projections 32. Dispensing cover seal 30 can then bepositioned over projections 32, such that tamper evident seal 70 issandwiched between main portion 50 and dispensing cover seal 30. Sealsheet 70 can be used in any embodiment of the invention, even thosewhich do not employ dispensing cover seal 30. A user of the cover willpreferably receive the cover in place on a fiberboard drum containingproduct and will note the tamper evident seal sheet 70 in place underthe lid 20, verifying that no tampering has taken place with the productin the fiberboard drum. Note that seal sheet 70 has been shown only inFIG. 2 and omitted from the other figures for clarity. Note also thatsheet 70 is shown extending beyond the radiused edges of main portion50; if desired, sheet 70 can instead be configured to lie solely withinthe perimeter of main portion 50.

Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited to those preciseembodiments and that various other changes and modifications may beeffected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from thescope or spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dispensing cover for use with a firstfiberboard drum, the first fiberboard drum having a continuousupstanding drum wall with a wall edge having a rolled-in lip, the walledge forming a perimeter of a cover-receiving opening, said dispensingcover comprising:a main portion sized to fit within the perimeter of thecover-receiving opening; a skirt portion which is secured to said mainportion and which extends generally parallel to the upstanding drumwall; a skirt portion extension which is secured to said skirt portionand which forms a cavity for receiving the rolled-in lip of the firstfiberboard drum; and at least one barb which is secured to said skirtportion and which extends outwardly therefrom, said barb having anangled surface which rides up and over the rolled-in lip of the firstfiberboard drum as said dispensing cover is inserted in the firstfiberboard drum, said barb having a generally straight surface whichtraps the rolled-in lip of the first fiberboard drum in said cavity ofsaid skirt portion extension when said dispensing cover is fullyinserted in the first fiberboard drum, said generally straight surfaceand said rolled-in lip of the first fiberboard drum interacting topermanently attach said dispensing cover to said first fiberboard drum.2. A dispensing cover as defined in claim 1, wherein said main portionis formed with a lid-receiving aperture, further comprising a lid whichis configured to be resealably secured in said aperture.
 3. A dispensingcover as defined in claim 1, further comprising a dispensing cover sealformed of a flexible material, said seal being secured to said mainportion, said seal having an outer perimetric seal edge which sealinglyabuts the continuous upstanding drum wall when said dispensing cover isinserted in the first fiberboard drum, said seal being positioned toimpede retention, by the rolled-in lip, of product contained in thefirst fiberboard drum.
 4. A dispensing cover as defined in claim 3,wherein:said main portion has a bottom face; said barb extends no lowerthan said bottom face; and said dispensing cover seal is a generallyplanar sheet having an upper surface secured to said bottom face of saidmain portion.
 5. A dispensing cover as defined in claim 4, furthercomprising a tamper evident seal sheet interposed between saiddispensing cover seal and said bottom face of said main portion toinitially seal said lid-receiving aperture.
 6. A dispensing cover asdefined in claim 4, wherein:the continuous upstanding drum wall forms agenerally rectangular tube with rounded corners; said dispensing coverseal is generally rectangular with rounded corners; and said dispensingcover seal is formed with angled slits in said rounded corners to aid inflexible engagement of said dispensing cover seal with the firstfiberboard drum.
 7. A dispensing cover as defined in claim 3, whereinsaid main portion is formed with a lid-receiving aperture, furthercomprising a lid which is configured to be resealably secured in saidaperture.
 8. A dispensing cover as defined in claim 3, for stacking usewith a second fiberboard drum having a recessed floor retained byrolled-in edges, said dispensing cover further comprising:a stackalignment lip extending upwardly from said main portion to engage therolled-in edges of the second fiberboard drum when the second fiberboarddrum is stacked on top of said dispensing cover.
 9. A dispensing coveras defined in claim 8, wherein said stack alignment lip is formed as avertical extension of said skirt portion.
 10. A dispensing cover asdefined in claim 8, wherein said main portion is formed with alid-receiving aperture, further comprising a lid which is configured tobe resealably secured in said aperture.
 11. A dispensing cover for usewith a first fiberboard drum, the first fiberboard drum having acontinuous upstanding drum wall with a wall edge having a rolled-in lip,the wall edge forming a perimeter of a cover-receiving opening, saiddispensing cover comprising:a main portion sized to fit within theperimeter of the cover-receiving opening; a skirt portion which issecured to said main portion and which extends generally parallel to theupstanding drum wall; a skirt portion extension which is secured to saidskirt portion and which forms a cavity for receiving the rolled-in lipof the first fiberboard drum; and a dispensing cover seal formed of aflexible material, said seal being secured to said main portion, saidseal having an outer perimetric seal edge which sealingly abuts thecontinuous upstanding drum wall when said dispensing cover is insertedin the first fiberboard drum, said seal being positioned to impederetention, by the rolled-in lip, of product contained in the firstfiberboard drum.
 12. A dispensing cover as defined in claim 11,wherein:said main portion has a bottom face; and said dispensing coverseal is a generally planar sheet having an upper surface secured to saidbottom face of said main portion.
 13. A dispensing cover as defined inclaim 12, wherein:the continuous upstanding drum wall forms a generallyrectangular tube with rounded corners; said dispensing cover seal isgenerally rectangular with rounded corners; and said dispensing coverseal is formed with angled slits in said rounded corners to aid inflexible engagement of said dispensing cover seal with the firstfiberboard drum.
 14. A dispensing cover as defined in claim 11, whereinsaid main portion is formed with a lid-receiving aperture, furthercomprising a lid which is configured to be resealably secured in saidaperture.
 15. A dispensing cover as defined in claim 11, for stackinguse with a second fiberboard drum having a recessed floor retained byrolled-in edges, said dispensing cover further comprising:a stackalignment lip extending upwardly from said main portion to engage therolled-in edges of the second fiberboard drum when the second fiberboarddrum is stacked on top of said dispensing cover.
 16. A dispensing coveras defined in claim 15, wherein said main portion is formed with alid-receiving aperture, further comprising a lid which is configured tobe resealably secured in said aperture.
 17. A dispensing cover for usewith a first fiberboard drum and for stacking use with a secondfiberboard drum, the first fiberboard drum having a continuousupstanding drum wall with a wall edge having a rolled-in lip, the walledge forming a perimeter of a cover-receiving opening, the second drumhaving a recessed floor retained by rolled-in edges, said dispensingcover comprising:a main portion sized to fit within the perimeter of thecover-receiving opening; a skirt portion which is secured to said mainportion and which extends generally parallel to the upstanding drumwall; a skirt portion extension which is secured to said skirt portionand which forms a cavity for receiving the rolled-in lip of the firstfiberboard drum; at least one barb which is secured to said skirtportion and which extends outwardly therefrom, said barb having anangled surface which rides up and over the rolled-in lip of the firstfiberboard drum as said dispensing cover is inserted in the firstfiberboard drum, said barb having a generally straight surface whichtraps the rolled-in lip of the first fiberboard drum in said cavity ofsaid skirt portion extension when said dispensing cover is fullyinserted in the first fiberboard drum, said generally straight surfaceand said rolled-in lip of the first fiberboard drum interacting topermanently attach said dispensing cover to said first fiberboard drum;and a stack alignment lip extending upwardly from said main portion toengage the rolled-in edges of the second fiberboard drum when the secondfiberboard drum is stacked on top of said dispensing cover.
 18. Adispensing cover as defined in claim 17, wherein said stack alignmentlip is formed as a vertical extension of said skirt portion.
 19. Adispensing cover as defined in claim 17, wherein said main portion isformed with a lid-receiving aperture, further comprising a lid which isconfigured to be resealably secured in said aperture.